1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooperated computer supported coordination system for sharing information in a group, and more particularly to an apparatus for managing a shared-data alteration status.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The following three techniques may be enumerated for the prior art of the present invention.
The first technique is the shared file technique as described in the drawer [Article 1] and Shared Book [Article 2] in Start Work Station by Xerox corporation.
The second technique is the shared window system as described in Clab System [Article 3] by Xerox Palo Alto Laboratory, Team Workstation [Articles 4 to 7] by NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph corporation), and MERMAID [Articles 8 and 9] by NEC corporation.
The third technique is the semistructured automatic mail distribution system as discussed in Object Lens [Articles 10 and 11] by MIT.
Particulars of the references are as follow.
Article 1: "Work Station Series" edited by Akihiro, published by Maruzen, 1986. PA1 Article 2: Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Hei-2-2450(filed by Xerox corporation), entitled "Expression of Cooperation Multiuser Activities on Share Structured Data Object in the Network Work Station Ambient. PA1 Article 3: Stefik, M.; Bobrow, D. G.; Foster, G.; Lanning S.; and Tatar, D. "WYSIWIS:Revised:Early Experiences with Multiuser Interfaces", ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, Vol., 5, No. 2, April 1987, pp. 147 to 167. PA1 Article 4: Ishii Hiroshi, "TeamWorkstation: Towards a Seamless Shared Workspace." CSCW '90 Proceedings, October 1990, pp13 to 26. PA1 Article 5: Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Hei-3-119476 (NTT), entitled "Shared Screen Control System". PA1 Article 6: Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Hei-3-119477 (NTT), entitled "Shared Screen Control System". PA1 Article 7: Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Hei-3-119478 (NTT), entitled "Shared Screen Control System". PA1 Article 8: Kazuo Watanabe, Shiro Handa, Kazutoshi Maeno, Hideyuki Fukuoka, Toyoko Ohmori, "Multimedia Distribution Meeting System MERMAID", Data Processing Academy papers, Vol., 32, No. 9, September 1991, pp 1200 to 1209. PA1 Article 9: Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Hei-3-58658 (NEC), "Distribution Meeting System". PA1 Article 10: Malone, T. W.; Grant, K. R.; Lai, K. Y.; Rao, R. and Rosenblitt, D. "Semi-structured message are surprisingly useful for computer supported coordination.", ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, Vol., 5, No. e, April 1987, pp 115 to 131. PA1 Article 11: Malone, T. W.; Grant, K. R.; Turbak, F. A.; Brobst, S. A. and Cohen M. D. "Intelligent Information Sharing Systems."Communications of the ACM, 03, 390 to 402. PA1 shared data control device (1) for controlling the data shared by group members and the data representative of a status of the alteration of the shared data, and for editing the alteration status data in accordance with levels representative of a significance of the role and an intensity of interest of a group member who issues a display request; PA1 editing device (2) for carrying out an edit process of the shared data; and PA1 display device (3) for displaying a status of the alteration of the shared data, step by step, on the basis of the alteration status data edited in accordance with the role and interest levels, said alteration status data being received from said shared-data control device.
In the shared file technique as in the shared book and the drawer, data can be shared by the members of a group. When the shared data is altered by a member of a group, any member of the group can refer to the result of the alteration of the shared data. Further, he can discard the old shared data, viz., the data before it is altered, or preserve it as the old version. Particularly in the shared book, edit is allowed after the shared data is locked. When another member makes an access to the locked shared data, he receives a message that the shared data is locked and under editing operation.
In the shared window systems, such as Clab System and TeamWorkstation, and MERMAID, a shared window is displayed in the work stations of the respective group members in such a manner that the same content is displayed on each of the workstation. Accordingly, the individual members can know a status of the alteration of the shared data after seeing the displayed shared windows having the display contents. In the Clab system, for example, the work station of each member may have a shared window, called a shared screen, which the member accesses as he desires. The contents of the shared screen are updated by the result of the access by the member, and displayed in real time in the shared screens of other members.
In the semistructured automatic mail distribution system, such as the Object Lens, the mail is semistructured before it is distributed. The structured portions are analyzed by the knowledge processing. The most suitable member for receiving the mail is inferred on the result of the analysis, and the mail is delivered to that member.
Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the invention is how to enable the members of a group to manage the shared data according to the roles and interests of the individual members.
To this end, it is conceivable that the following three conditions must hold. The details of these conditions, and the disadvantages of the prior art in comparison with the conditions will be described.
Firstly, it is important that "Any particular controller for providing information which depends on the roles and interests is not required." If using the shared file technique, a controller sends a status of the shared data to the members according to the roles and interests of the members by means of the electronic mail, for example, a controller can provide suitable information to the members. The roles and interests of the group members constantly vary. Further, the shared data is also changed frequently. Much task is required for one controller to manage the varying roles and interests, and the varying shared data, and to properly send the status of the shared data to the members.
Secondly, it is necessary "to deal with those members who play less roles and have a little interest."
It is infrequent that the group members engage in only the work of the group. Actually, some members are merely observers or have a little interest. Transmission of the status of the alteration of the shared data to such members by using the shared window technique is not only useless but also to interrupt the works of other members.
Thirdly, "All of the shared data can always be seen." is important.
As stated above, the roles and interests of the members always vary. It should be avoided that the action to gain desired data imposes a heavy work load on the controller and other members. In the semistructured mail distribution technique, when the roles and interests of the member are varied, the rule base for mail distribution must be altered. In this case, the data already distributed cannot be seen. With retransmission of the data, all of the data might be provided. This measure, however, is not practical in that the work load of the transmitter is extremely large, and the data is transmitted again to the members having the same data.